ADNOC joins Saudi Aramco to take stake in $44 bn Ratanagiri refinery

NEW DELHI: Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on Monday signed an initial pact to take a stake in the planned $44-billion refinery in Maharashtra, joining Saudi Aramco which is looking at the project as a vehicle to enter India’s entire energy “value chain” including fuel retailing.

Aramco and ADNOC will together hold 50 per cent stake in the 60 million-tonne-a-year refinery and adjacent 18 million-tonne-petrochemical complex while the remaining half will be split between state-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL).

Saudi Aramco eyes presence in India’s entire energy sector, says CEO

Saudi Arabian state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco wants to be present in the entire “value chain” of India’s energy sector, its Chief Executive Officer Amin Nasser said on Monday in New Delhi.

For both Saudi Arabia and UAE, “strategic business investment with the world’s fastest growing oil consumer has reached an irresistible tipping point,” said Amin H Nasser, CEO and President of Saudi Aramco.

Aramco, which had at the time of signing the original agreement to a 50 per cent stake in the planned project in April stated that it will bring a partner at a later date, is looking at not just refining its oil in the refinery but also selling downstream products in the market.

“Saudi Aramco is determined to go a step further. We will support our investment with a large fully-integrated oil business in India that will cover the entire value chain in partnership with local companies who know their markets best,” he told reporters after signing of the agreement.

Asked how much stake would ADNOC and Aramco hold in the project, he said, “Between us it is 50 per cent and terms of how much percentage for each is being discussed between the two partners.”

As per the April agreement, Aramco is to supply half of the crude oil required for processing at the refinery that will be commissioned by 2025. ADNOC will now supply some of the crude to be processed at the unit.